Pantone 2018 Color of the Year

by Diana FarmerJanuary 04, 2018

I don't know if you have noticed, but every year there is a predominate color. This is pretty much how it goes. You see it pop up as paint color in home improvement store commercials. The woman doing your nails suggests that you try switching to that color. There is a top with that same color in it. As you walk by a rack of shoes, the ones that color jump out at you. You start seeing dishes and mixers in that color. Suddenly, it seems to be everywhere!

It is everywhere, and it isn't random. There is a reason why everyone has come up with the same idea. Meet Pantone.

"The Pantone Color Institute is a consulting service within Pantone that forecasts global color trends and advises companies on color in brand identity and product development, for the application and integration of color as a strategic asset. Recognized around the world as a leading source of color information through seasonal trend forecasts, custom color development, and palette recommendations for product and corporate identity, Pantone Color Institute partners with global brands to leverage the power, psychology and emotion of color in their design strategy." Pantone.com

Every year, Pantone chooses a color, and industries listen. The more people see it everywhere, the more people want it, and so products in that color sell. It pays for industries to follow along.

How does it affect you? That new nail polish is going to look amazing with the new top you bought since the top has a touch of the same color in it. And how lucky that you found shoes the exact color to match the top. Is that a matching purse, too? You get the idea.

Now that you know where the color of the year comes from and how it will affect you, let me introduce you to the 2018 Pantone Color of the Year, Pantone 18-3838 Ultra Violet!

Pictures from Pantone.com

Here is what Pantone says about this color.

"Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.

Enigmatic purples have also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality. Nuanced and full of emotion, the depth of PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.

Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energizes the communities that gather there and inspire connection."